Gelatin dip pot

ABSTRACT

A conventional gelatin dip pot for making capsules having a dip tank suspended in a reservoir tank and a gear pump drawing from along the length of the reservoir tank to supply the dip tank is provided with means having a single inlet opening to provide for the supply of gelatin from a single location in the reservoir tank and is provided with longitudinal helical mixing paddles mounted in the reservoir tank along side the dip tank.

United States Patent PATENTEU JUL l 3:971 3, 592 ,445

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ATTORNEYS mvENToR ALTEN E. WHITE-ICAR ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUN 3 mi SHED' Ll UF 4 Dn A mm MW ww m. E N E U A ATTORNEYS GELATIN DIP POT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In making gelatin capsules, pins are dipped into gelatin conned in what is known in the trade as a dip pot. The convennal dip pot has a dip tank suspended in a reservoir tank with dip tank being supplied with gelatin by a long gear pump thdrawing gelatin from multiple positions along the length the reservoir tank. This results in a nonuniform gelatin in dip tank and hence results in a lack of uniformity in the psules. r Gelatin is a peculiar material particularly in that it is ex- :mely difficult to provide a uniform gelatin product even in a iall tank. Of primary importance is the fact that the age of gelatin results in wide variations in the consistency of the latin. Variations in consistency of thc gelatin causes varia ns in the thickness of the capsule walls. Thus in making capies, it is important to approach substantial uniformity of nsistency of the gelatin.

It has been found that by supplying thc entire length of the ar pump from a single location in the reservoir tank, a irked improvement in the uniformity ofthe gelatin in the J tank is achieved.

In addition, it is well known in the art that gelatin is ex- :mely difficult to mix to achieve uniformity In accordance th this invention it has been found that the uniformity of the latin in the reservoir tank is greatly improved by the em- Jyment of helical paddles extending longitudinally in the servoir tank alongside the dip tank. Unexpectedly, this suor mixing has been achieved by operating the helical pades at a relatively high r.p.m. at which speed the gelatin is table to move longitudinally as rapidly as the helix of the iddle advances. The paddles markedly reduce the striation the gelatin. The rapidly moving helical paddles provide for rapid mixing of fresh additions of gelatin or coloring materiv i to the reservoir tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To a conventional gelatin dip pot having a dip tank spended in a reservoir tank and supplied with gelatin from idely spaced areas in the reservoir tank by pump means there added means to restrict the withdrawal of gelatin lo a single cation in the reservoir tank and helical mixing paddles exnding longitudinally in the reservoir tank alongside the dip nk which are rotated at a relatively high speed to mix the :latin in the reservoir tank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a plan view of a gelatin dip pot in accordance with ie invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the dip pot of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by ie line 3-3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of te mechanism for rotating the helical paddles; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by ie line 5-5 in FIG. l.

i PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. I, a gelatin dip pot 2 has a reservoir mk 4 formed with a hollow wall 6 the interior of which is connuously supplied with hot water through plug 8 and drained irough plug I0 (FIG. 3) to maintain the tank at desired tem- :rature generally about l F.

A dip tank I2 is suspended in tank 4 by virtue of lugs 14 eing mounted on brackets I6 and secured thereto by iachine screws I8. The bottom of tank l2 along its length is rovided with a series of openings 22 which are bordered by ipered walls 24 and 26. Openings 22 communicate with the iterior of a gear pump casing (FIG. 3) which contains pump gears 32 and 34 mounted in bearings 36 and 38 respectively which are affixed to end plate 40 (FIG. I). Gear 32 is also mounted in bearing 42 and end plate 44. Gear 34 is coupled as indicated at 48 to a shaft 50 driven by gearbox 52 which in turn is driven by a drive shaft 54.

As thus described, with the exception of the walls 24 and 26 being tapered, the above described dip pot is conventional and widely known to those skilled in the art. The additional improvements of this invention will now be described.

Gear box 52 has an output shaft 60 (FIG. 2) which is coupled at 62 to a shaft 64 which drives gearbox 66. Gearbox 66 in turn drives shaft 68 on which is mounted a sprocket 70 which drives a chain 72. Chain 72 is connected to a sprocket 74 which is keyed at 76 to a shaft 78 (FIG. 4). Sprocket 74 is spaced from a sprocket by a sleeve 82. Sprocket 80 is keyed at 84 to shaft 7B and drives a chain 86. A nut 88 is threaded to shaft 78 and urges sprocket 80 against a washer 90 which abuts against a sleeve member 92 which in turn is urged against packing 94 retained by flange portion 96 of tube 98 secured in wall 6. Shaft 78 is provided with a shoulder |02 which abuts against a washer I04 which in turn abuts against flange 96. Shaft 78 has a hollow end portion 106 which receives a shaft |08 provided with an opening IIO which receives a pin ll2 which is threadedly connected at ll4 to shaft 78.

Shaft I08 is secured to a helical paddle 120 which at its other end is secured to a stub shaft 122 mounted in a bearing |24 (FIG. l).

Chain 86 drives a sprocket 130 which is secured to a shaft 78, shortened to clear gearbox 52. Shaft 78 is secured to a shaft 108 connected to a helical paddle 120 which is also connected to a shaft 122 mounted in a bearing 124.

A pair of spaced manifold members I40 and 142 (FIG. S) are secured to casing 30 by welding and permit entrance therein only through the open ends thereof |44 and |46 respectively. Thus all gelatin withdrawn from the reservoir tank 4 by gears 32 and 34 comes from the small area between the open ends |44 and I46 of manifold members I40 and 142.

OPERATION In operation, reservoir tank 4 is filled with gelatin and shaft 54 is rotated by driving means (not shown). The rotation of helical paddles |20, urges the gelatin in the lower portion of tank 4 to the right as viewed in FIG. l, since the helical padA dles |20, 120 are rotating in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. The paddles |20, |20 advantageously are rotated at a speed in the range of from about to about 275 r.p.m. which produces an apparent linear travel of the helices which is substantially greater than the rate of longitudinal travel of the gelatin. With the helical paddles 120, 120 in operation the advance of the gelatin longitudinally to the right as viewed in FIG. I in the lower portion of tank 4 results in a counteriIow of gelatin to the left in the upper portion of the tank. The gelatin is mixed rapidly.

Gearbox 52 rotates pump gear 34 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG, 3 causing the rotation of gear 32 and causing the withdrawal of gelatin having uniform consistency from the single area in tank 4 which lies between open ends l44 and |46 of manifold member I40 and 142. The supply of gelatin to dip tank by pump gears 32 and 34 causes gelatin to overflow from dip tank l2 into tank 4.

The provision of sloping strips 150, 150 at either end of the dip tank l2 in a V configuration channels the gelatin overflowing the ends of tank l2 towards the center line of tank 4 which insures circulation of gelatin in the central portions of the ends of tank 4.

Adjacent tapered walls 24 and 26 in effect form a bridge having a narrow top 27 to prevent gelatin dead spots above the bridge.

l claim:

I. In a gelatin dip pot for making capsules having:

a reservoir tank,

a dip tank suspended in the reservoir tank,

a housing extending along the bottom of the dip tank,

first passage means interconnecting a substantial portion of the bottom of the dip tank with the interior ofthe housing,

second passage means along the bottom ofthe housing |nterconnecting the interior and exterior of the housing andl pump means to pull liquid through the second mentioned passage means and pump it through the l'irst mentioned passage means into the dip tank. The improvement comprising:

manifold means attached to the bottom of said housing, communicating with the second passage means and hav ing a single inlet opening.

2. The device f claim l in which the first passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the l'lrst passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.

4. The device of claim l in which the dip pot has sloping guideI strips on each outer end to direct overflowing gelatin to the center ol'the reservoir tank.

5, The device of claim l having a. helical mixing paddle mounted longitudinally in the reservoir tank along cach side of the dip tank, and

means to rotate each mixing paddle.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the paddles are rotated at from about l50 to about 275 rpm.

7. The device of claim 5 in which the first passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.

8. The device of claim S in which the dip pot has sloping guide strips on each outer end to direct overflowing gelatin to the center ofthe reservoir tank. 

1. In a gelatin dip pot for making capsules having: a reservoir tank, a dip tank suspended in the reservoir tank, a housing extending along the bottom of the dip tank, first passage means interconnecting a substantial portion of the bottom of the dip tank with the interior of the housing, second passage means along the bottom of the housing interconnecting the interior and exterior of the housing and, pump means to pull liquid through the second mentioned passage means and pump it through the first mentioned passage means into the dip tank. The improvement comprising: manifold means attached to the bottom of said housing, communicating with the second passage means and having a single inlet opening.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which the first passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.
 3. The device of claim 2 in which the first passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.
 4. The device of claim 1 in which the dip pot has sloping guide strips on each outer end to direct overflowing gelatin to the center of the reservoir tank.
 5. The device of claim 1 having a helical mixing paddle mounted longitudinally in the reservoir tank along each side of the dip tank, and means to rotate each mixing paddle.
 6. The device of claim 5 in which the paddles are rotated at from about 150 to about 275 r.p.m.
 7. The device of claim 5 in which the first passage means comprises a plurality of passages with walls therebetween each tapered to a narrow top.
 8. The device of claim 5 in which the dip pot has sloping guide strips on each outer end to direct overflowing gelatin to the center of the reservoir tank. 